North Korea marks 6th anniversary of Kim Jong Il’s death

PYONGYANG: Crowds of flower-bearing North Koreans have streamed passed statues and portraits of their leaders to pay respects on the sixth anniversary of the death of Kim Jong Un’s father, Kim Jong Il.
With somber, recorded music playing in the sub-zero air, thousands upon thousands of people marched up Pyongyang’s Mansu Hill to bow and place flowers at the feet of two giant bronze statues of Kim Jong Il and national founder Kim Il Sung, who is North Korea’s “eternal president” and Kim Jong Un’s grandfather.
Kim Jong Il died on Dec. 17, 2011.
Although the sense of national mourning is less intense than in previous years, North Koreans are expected to avoid drinking, entertainment and inappropriate displays of enjoyment on the day before and the day of the anniversary.

US reviews report of imports from forced labor in China camp

The US is reviewing reports of forced labor at a Chinese detention camp where ethnic minorities must give up their religion and language

Following reports, the US said that it had suspended business with the Chinese supplier and was investigating.

Updated 50 min 25 sec ago

AP

December 19, 2018 00:00

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BEIJING: The US government said Tuesday that it is reviewing reports of forced labor at a Chinese detention camp where ethnic minorities must give up their religion and language and may be subject to political indoctrination.
US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that reporting by The Associated Press and other media “for the first time appears to link the internment camps identified in Western China to the importation of goods produced by forced labor by a US company.”
The AP tracked shipments from a factory in a detention camp in China’s Xinjiang region to Badger Sportswear in North Carolina. The company ships clothing to universities, colleges and schools around the United States.
Following the reports, Badger said that it had suspended business with the Chinese supplier and was investigating.
The Washington-based Workers Rights Consortium, which has agreements with many educational institutions to make sure the products they sell on campus are ethically manufactured, said that “forced labor of any kind is a severe violation of university codes of conduct.”
It’s against US law to import products of forced labor. Customs and Border Protection said it is part of its mission to enforce “both laws to protect individuals from forced labor and our Nation’s economy from businesses profiting from this form of modern slavery.”